Inspired by strength, unity

Artist donates half of commission to Mishawaka Eagles fundraiser.

Artist donates half of commission to Mishawaka Eagles fundraiser.

April 26, 2006|LAUREEN FAGAN Tribune Staff Writer

An adult Fun Fair held by Mishawaka's Fraternal Order of Eagles helped to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The recent event featured horse-race tip boards, a cake walk, and a special patriotic painting, donated by artist Ron Patton, said Carolyn Jackson, secretary for the FOE ladies' auxiliary. The project, Jackson said by telephone, was launched by an anonymous member who wanted to honor the memory of a friend. "We talked a couple of times about what we should do," Jackson explained. "She was talking to me about this artist," she added. And, this being a small world, Jackson said, she had met Patton before. "That's how we came to do the fun fair," she explained. "And when we went to collect the picture from the artist? He wanted to know what the Eagles was all about and what we did." For his part, Patton -- a 47-year-old Mishawaka resident -- said he was inspired to do the painting after Sept. 11. "A lot of people were panicking," Patton explained during a telephone interview. "It really got me when I started seeing that we are one country, one nation. We stand together," he added. So he painted the work, "The Two Faces of America," with an eagle that stands for strength and a flag that stands for all Americans. "So I put those two together. We are strong, and we are America," Patton said. Jackson said her lodge was happy to accept the artwork, especially because the Eagles is a philanthropic organization, she said. "Most fraternal orders are," Jackson added. And this year, their service project is Riley Hospital. Patton, who is wheelchair-bound with the use of just one hand, donated half his commission back to the lodge. "My thought is," Jackson said, "I got to make this grow." And through careful event planning, it surely did. "When I left there (that) Saturday night, his little $30 donation had grown into $1,276," she explained. With a little more money expected, too. "The rest of it was just all fun. We had a fish pond, we had a cakewalk, we had one called the funky pool," she said, explaining that the latter game was on a pool table. "We had horseraces. We ran lots of tip boards," Jackson explained. "The prizes on the tip boards were gift certificates. And we had an auctioneer. He auctioned off some of the prizes we had." Jackson laughed and said she'd never worked so hard in her life as she did that day. "I felt like a ringmaster," Jackson said. "I was constantly talking." Staff writer Laureen Fagan: lfagan@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6344